[TenTec] QSK with QSK-5PC

[Phil Chambley, Sr.]

On my Paragon (Q18) and Paragon II (Q14) I replaced the relay coils with
4.7k resistors, lifted the respective emitters and use them to drive base of
MJE-520.  Ground to emitter of the 520, collector goes to relay out jack and
keys non-QSK amp.  I use the TX in/out to key a Herc II.

No noise.

Phil Chambley
K4DPKVFO Stabilizers and PEP adapters for wattmeters...Check out
http://home.comcast.net/~k4dpk
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <al_lorona at agilent.com>
To: <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 1:01 PM
Subject: RE: [TenTec] QSK with QSK-5PC



Hi, Steve,

I believe I know why the previous owner did that to your Omni VI. (And I'm
assuming you care!)

Last night I made some measurements of the TX Enable signal on the back
panel of the Omni VI. This line goes low at the beginning of a dit or a dah,
then the RF comes on, just as it should. There is no problem at the leading
edge.

The problem is at the trailing edge. The TX Enable goes high again, but the
RF doesn't shut off immediately, so there is a period of time when the QSK
circuit in the amp is being told to go back to receive, yet there is still
RF flowing. This is the problem.

What is needed is for this signal to stay low just a little bit longer,
until the RF ends completely, then it can go high again to turn the diodes
in the QSK unit back to receive. There is a signal that will do that in the
Omni; it's called the relay, and that explains why your previous owner used
this signal. This is the line that is affected by the front panel DLY.

I think I am going to do the same as your previous owner. That is, I'm going
to bring out a line from the relay switching transistor, Q16 on the control
board, bypass the relay, and use that as my QSK line. I don't know if it
will work yet, but that is my next plan.

True QSK or full QSK, whatever you want to call it, is really hard to
achieve with an amplifer. The way you guys speak about  QSK on the
reflector, you aren't happy unless you can hear the band between dits at 50
wpm, but that just isn't possible between an Omni and a cheap amp like an
Ameritron, even with the QSK switch. About the only advantage the QSK switch
affords you is the elimination of the mechanical relay in the amp.

Anyway, that's the way I see it. Thanks again for the information you gave
me.

Regards,

Al  W6LX




> -----Original Message-----
> From: tentec-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Steve N4LQ
> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 5:54 PM
> To: tentec at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] QSK with QSK-5PC
>
>
> Al. Whatever you do, call MFJ before you hook that thing up.
> I didn't  and
> blew diodes out of a rig. My QSK was external which made it even more
> complicated.
> I can tell you this....The previous owner of my 6+ bypassed
> the amp relay in
> the rig and used the txd voltage to drive a little transistor
> which feeds
> directly to the amp relay jack. This seems to provide
> excellent keying for
> my Icom PW-1 with no sign of hot switching.
> Steve N4LQ
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <al_lorona at agilent.com>
> To: <tentec at contesting.com>
> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 8:01 PM
> Subject: [TenTec] QSK with QSK-5PC
>
>
>
> Would someone who has successfully connected an Omni VI to an
> Ameritron
> amplifier equipped with the internal QSK-5PC board be willing
> to contact me
> off the list? I want to know how you connected the two.
>
> I have read Jim KH7M's previous posts on this subject and
> they are excellent
> for the external unit QSK-5, but the connections to the QSK-5PC are
> different enough that I cannot translate the connections in my head.
>
> Interestingly, a search of the Internet yields no information
> whatsoever on
> this. I am thinking of using the TX enable input on the back
> of the Omni to
> receive a handshaking signal from the QSK-5PC, but I want to talk to
> somebody who has done this.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Al  W6LX
>
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>
_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec